Germany makes arrests over theft of giant solid-gold coin

Police arrested four men today on suspicion of stealing a 100kg solid gold coin the size of a vehicle tyre from a Berlin museum.

Regarded as the world's largest gold coin, it was stolen from Berlin's Bode Museum.

The Canadian coin with the picture of Queen Elizabeth II has a face value of 1 million US dollars.

The raids of 13 different buildings lasted several hours, but the gold coin was not recovered.

Criminal investigator Carsten Pfohl said: "We are assuming that the coin was in part or in whole sold off".

The coin, with a diameter of 53 centimetres and 3 centimetres thick and weighing 100 kilograms (221 pounds), has a face value of $1 million, but given the high purity of gold used in the coin, its melt down value is estimated at around $4 million (£3,112,800).

He said searches of the apartments were still continuing, but so far the coin hadn't been found. Experts think the coin may have been melted down to cash in on the gold, Wenzel added. The authorities also searched a neighborhood jewelry store that might have been involved in selling the gold.

Investigators believe the thiefs used a ladder and a wheelbarrow to remove the coin from the museum.

The two unidentified suspects were arrested in Berlin's Neukolln district. The police also found the rope, the ladder and the wheelbarrow as well a burning Mercedes in an underground vehicle park. After several interested buyers came forward, the Mint decided to make a very limited number of coins available for sale.

Police were unable to provide information about the whereabouts of the coin.

While one side of these coins features a hand-polished maple leaf design by Royal Canadian Mint artist and engraver Stan Witten, the other bears the effigy of Queen Elizabeth II by celebrated Canadian portrait artist Susanna Blunt.

In July, police published still photos made from surveillance video asking the public for help in finding the thieves who had stolen the coin from the museum.

Popular news

3 cups of coffee a day can help extend your life
The results showed a similar trend no matter what variety of coffee was drank - espressos, cappuccinos, lattes or even decaf. The study started with 520,000 people from ten European countries and followed up over the course of 16 years.

Oculus Rift VR and Touch Drops in Price by 33% to $399
Oculus , the VR-firm owned by social media giant Facebook , is cutting the price of its VR headset for the second time this year. Facebook's almost $2 billion acquisition of Oculus three years ago was a flier on virtual reality's potential.

Alberto El Patron investigated for domestic violence incident
The person who recorded it, who is a fan of El Patron, stated that she recorded the audio as "evidence" should it be necessary. More information continues to leak out about the altercation involving Alberto El Patron at an Orlando airport on Sunday.

NSE technical glitch matter of serious concern: Fin Min
Two sources familiar with the matter said it was an internal issue, ruling out any external cyber attack or hacking. A BSE spokesperson said the exchange is not facing any problems. "NSE deeply apologises for the glitch".

Taylor review into the gig economy dismissed as 'feeble'
Mr Taylor called for a change in the law to create a new status of "dependant contractors" working flexibly for new firms. They would also, if Mr Taylor's recommendations were implemented fully, be treated as employees for tax purposes.

Who is Gopalkrishna Gandhi?
The Opposition has chosen Gopalkrishna Gandhi as its nominee for the upcoming vice-presidential election, sources told PTI . All of them spoke in support of Gopal Gandhi and have made a decision to field him as a joint candidate.

Tesla Sales Come to Screeching Halt in Hong Kong
Why not amazed with Tesla Model 3? The company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $299.07. In March, a total of 2,939 Tesla vehicles were registered, and approximately 3,700 were recorded for the first quarter of 2017.